8 Food Trends to Embrace in 2024

1. Non-Alcoholic Beverages

This trend comes just in time for Dry January - a movement where people choose to take the first month of the new year off from drinking to help have a health reset. “Mocktails and sophisticated non-alcoholic options will prevail as popular alternatives to enjoy flavor complexity without alcohol,” says Lauren Allen, the founder of Tastes Better from Scratch. “And we’ll see tasty new twists on comforting, high-quality morning brews and cozy evening drink options made with whole ingredients” she predicts. You can increasingly find everything from non-alcoholic chardonnay to alcohol-free gin at your grocery store. And there are tons of mocktail recipes circulating online. 

2. Buckwheat

Move over tired old grains like rice…hello buckwheat! This ancient grain can be eaten as a porridge for breakfast, topped with fruit and nuts (look for cream of buckwheat at your grocery store) or served as a grain on your dinner table. It can generally replace rice, couscous, or quinoa in any recipe. It has a naturally nutty flavor and is packed with fiber, which can have benefits for your colon and your heart. 

Try this recipe for Creamy Buckwheat Porridge instead of your morning oatmeal. To start, you will need to cover raw buckwheat groats with water and soak overnight (or at least for two hours), before blending with sweeteners and spices and heating the mixture to help it warm and thicken.

3. Plant-Based Meats Made with Unprocessed Plants

Forget Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers and say hello to burgers, meatballs and other vegan meat made with unprocessed plant ingredients. While plant-based fake meats have been popular for mimicking the protein content and taste of many types of meats, 2024 is expected to bring out plant proteins made from less processed ingredients. According to Whole Foods annual food trends alert, we can expect meat alternatives to be made with things like “mushrooms, walnuts, tempeh and legumes in place of complex meat alternatives.” This means we’ll be able to better sneak those recommended servings of veggies into our days. 

4. Tempeh Trumps Tofu

And if you’re looking to go simple in the plant-based protein category, tempeh, which is fermented soy, is also going to be having a moment. “Tempeh easily takes on a meaty texture when crumbled, making it perfect for dishes like tacos or as a substitute for ground meat,” says Michelle Routhenstein, a Cardiology Dietitian, Preventive Cardiology Nutritionist, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and Certified Diabetes Educator. “Tempeh is also versatile, allowing for variations like mixing in ground turkey, serving it in lettuce wraps or corn tortilla shells, or incorporating it into a flavorful Bolognese sauce.” You can purchase everything from plain tempeh to spicy, sweet and smokey varieties in the plant-based refrigerated section of your local grocery store. To cook it, sauté it in avocado oil over the stove, pop it in the air fryer or bake it. 

Try your hand at cooking tempeh with this recipe for Tempeh Tacos.

5. Cottage Cheese is Still Cool

Cottage cheese began having a moment near the end of 2023 and Laura M. Ali, a culinary nutritionist based in Pittsburgh, says this will likely continue to surge in popularity as we enter 2024. Some of her favorite ways to eat cottage cheese include:

• A cup with fruit like berries or pineapple, fresh figs, or even canned fruit like low-sugar peaches or pears
• Adding a scoop on top of a salad for a protein boost
• Using it as a topping on pizza in place of mozzarella cheese, or with mozzarella cheese. 
• Mixing it with some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh parsley, and mint for a quick side dish
• Whipping it with some fresh herbs to make a healthy spread for a sandwich or wrap
• Mixing it into scrambled eggs and vegetables for an omelet or to make egg muffin cups for breakfast

6. Purple Sweet Potatoes

"Higher in antioxidants than blueberries (by a huge 150%), the purple sweet potato is also part of the clean 15, so typically low in pesticides,” says Morgaine Gaye, a food futurologist and Veganuary “2024 Vegetable of the Year” panelist. Although a Japanese yam, there is a variety of purple sweet potato that grows in North Carolina and is available at farmers markets and some bigger grocery stores. “It is easy to roast, bake or mash, just like any sweet potato, but hurry, purple sweet potato sales have already increased by 200% since the Netflix longevity series Blue Zones promoted their extensive health benefits ,” adds Gaye. Enjoy these delicious potatoes like you would any other potato (cut, baked, mashed) and pair them with other fruits and vegetables.

7. Tahini

You may not eat tahini much in your everyday life. It’s a popular dipping sauce for falafel, so you may have heard about it when ordering Mediterranean food take out. But nowadays it's getting into everything – from salad dressings to ice cream and baked goods. Tahini is made from sesame seeds so it’s a good source of healthy fats and fiber. Try dipping vegetables in it, stirring it into a soup to make it thicker or spreading it over a piece of toast. 

For a simple tahini salad dressing, try this recipe.

8. Snack Boards

Everyone loves a good charcuterie board, and the trend isn’t stopping anytime soon. Putting together a nice snack board is a big hit at any party – and the perfect appetizer. You can whip up your own by getting a large serving board or tray and filling it with an array of savory and sweet foods – think dried fruits, vegetables with dips, cheeses, nuts, deli meats, and crackers. There are many different themes you can go for – like a vegan snack board or a traditional cheese and crackers board. You can even do this for dessert with a DIY s’mores board featuring graham crackers, various kinds of chocolate and marshmallows. 

Next time you get invited to a gathering, you may want to bring this Easy Snack Board with you, which includes a variety of cheeses, crackers, fruit, and nuts.

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